TCB trucks selling essentials in a flash

Within three to five hours of reaching their designated spots, essential goods from sales trucks operated by Trading Corporation of Bangladesh are sold out as the country is passing through a pandemic-induced strict lockdown.

As many people are returning empty-handed from the trucks and queues are being longer day by day, TCB has ramped up the number of their sale points and shops on trucks on the occasion of birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the month of mourning August.

TCB said the volume of essential goods will be increased across the country from July 28 and will continue up to August 26, with an aim to help people from low-income groups.

According to TCB, the people from low-income group are buying subsidised soyabean oil at Tk 100 per litre, which is Tk 149 in the open market, lentil at Tk 55 per kg, which is at Tk 90 per kg in the open market, but sugar at Tk 55 per kilogram, just Tk 15 lower from the total market.

Earlier from June 6 to June 17, the TCB sold products on vehicle-mounted shops by 450 dealers and this time, the corporation is planning to conduct the operation across the country.

TCB Spokesperson and also head of Dhaka region Humayun Kabir told The Business Post that no truck returned with goods unsold from July 26 when the corporation started their open market sales.

The essentials were being sold out within the three to five hours of starting the sales, he added.

“At present, 355 to 360 TCB trucks across the country are selling the essentials to keep the prices of essentials within control and each truck-mounted shop is getting 400 to 500 litre of oil, 700 kilograms of sugar and 400 kg of lentil for sale among the poor people. Only 62 such shops are being conducted in Dhaka.”

“From next week, the amount of oil will be hiked to 800-1000 litres and lentil supply will be hiked by 100 kg to cater to the increased demand for the goods,” Kabir added.

Meanwhile, many people in the capital’s Mirpur 10, Bangla College, 60-Feet Bhanga Masjid area were seen buying the essential goods after standing in long queues.

Md Sultan, a private job-holder of 60-Feet area, said in the last ten years he bought essentials from the open market but the prices of necessary goods have now gone too high for him to afford.

“So, I am bound to buy the essential goods from TCB fair price shops,” Sultan added.